Life as it Is
by Catherine or Cate
Summary: The third and final trilogy in my 'Life' series following Hermione and Charlie Weasley. Alternate Universe. Proceeded by "Life as it Was" "Life as it Comes". Fifteen years later the couple make their return...
1. Chapter 1

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Life as it Is

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Chapter One

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Hermione Weasley looked down at the blue tinged body in front of her as she and her former Department of Mysteries partner Robbie Phrant stood in the middle of the American Department of Mysteries morgue.

"I can't believe this is over. After all this time," Hermione said poking the body with her wand and watching closely for any sign of reaction.

"I can't believe he, of all people, slipped up and got caught," Rob replied from where he was standing at the foot of the examinations table peering warily at the corpse. "Are you sure he's dead?"

"I'm just hoping it's not some poor person from the streets tricked into taking polyjuice and then poisoned," Hermione said casting repeated diagnostic charms on the body of the dead wizard before her.

A snort of laughter from the desk in the corner grabbed the attentions of both former spies. "He is dead," the medical examiner said firmly, a smile tugging on her lips. "There was no evidence of potions, charms or transfiguration of any kind and if you don't believe me here's his stomach contents."

Hermione and Rob both crossed the scrubbed concrete of the morgue floor to peer into the glass jar that had been summoned and balanced on the paperwork covering one corner of the bench.

"There's certainly no sign of polyjuice potion there," Rob admitted running his fingers over his stubble shadowed jaw.

"Only the poison and that would not have destroyed the evidence of polyjuice or any other transformation or identity changing charms from his system. It only stopped his heart," the medical examiner said continuing to fill in her paperwork.

Hermione turned back to the table and poked the corpse with her wand again.

"I still can't believe it!" the bushy haired witch declared. "I can actually take my family home and you can actually go see your parents, Rob!"

"We'd better start believing it," Rob replied hugging his former partner from behind. "We can do whatever we want now."

"No, we can't," Hermione replied a smile on her face. "I want to cut my sons' hair but neither one will let me. I want my eldest daughter to get rid of her drop kick boyfriend, but I can't make her."

"No, but you can move her back to Britain," Robbie countered laughing at Hermione's comments. "That may force her to get rid of him."

"Maybe," Hermione conceded. "But she's as stubborn as her father and aunt."

"I'll send you an owl," Rob said happily, kissing her cheek.

"You're not going to stay and watch?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"No," Rob answered. "I have a pregnant girlfriend who needs to hear the truth."

Hermione nodded and smiled as the man she thought of as a brother left the room. She heard the medical examiner move behind her and grim she accepted goggles and a protective cape from the other woman.

"Ready?"

"Do it," Hermione replied firmly.

Using a severing spell, the medical examiner removed the head from the body and quickly transfigured the body into a stick before Hermione dropped it in a nearby metal bowl and set it alight.

"Paranoid much about this one?" the medical examiner asked in surprise, ripping the latex gloves from her hands.

"He's 'died' once before and I then had to spend the next fifteen years hiding from him. Yes, I want to make sure he is dead, and not coming back, this time," Hermione declared. "Thanks."

"Glad to help, Hermione."

Dropping her goggles onto a counter and shoving the disposable robes into a bin Hermione made her way above ground to the car park. Sliding into her people mover, she slipped the gear into reverse and backed out of her park before putting it into drive and taking off toward the exit.

A few minutes later she pulled onto the motorway and Hermione turned up the CD in the player. Listening to the relaxing beats of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, she made her way home, mouthing the words to the songs the whole way. Turning into a quaint little town, she made half a dozen turns before pulling into the drive of a large colonial style house. Grabbing her handbag she shut down the engine and climbed out of the car, locking it remotely after she'd closed the driver's door.

Opening the front door, Hermione heard noises from varied areas of the house. Pulling her wand out of her bag she pointed it to her throat and muttered the spell to throw her voice.

"Everyone to the kitchen, please."

Removing the spell, Hermione moved into the kitchen, to the floating island bench and dumped her handbag before she began pulling items out of the pantry. Ripping the lids off the plastic containers containing the honey jumbles and the chocolate muffins she put them on the bench. Stopping by the fridge she grabbed the jug of cordial and seven tumblers from under the counter on her way back to stand beside the snacks. Filling the glasses with the orange liquid she waited for her family to arrive.

"Yum!" a little voice said and Hermione turned to see her youngest children walking into the kitchen first.

"Good afternoon, girls, what have you been doing this afternoon?" she asked hugging the little red head as the girl wrapped her short arms around Hermione's hips.

"Alex read while I had a snooze in the hammock out by the pool," the little red head explained pulling a muffin towards her and throwing her doll on the counter.

"Did you wear sunscreen?" Hermione asked pushing a cup of cordial over to the other girl who had close her book and set it on the counter top. "Don't even think about speaking with your mouth full, Mal," Hermione playfully warned her youngest as she too accepted her cup, but with a mouthful of muffin.

"Thanks, Mum," Alex said accepting the drink. "And she did. I made sure of it."

"Good," Hermione said kissing her fingers and reaching across the bench to push them up against the brunette's cheek making her smile.

"What have we got here?" a new voice asked as three more trooped into the kitchen.

Hermione smiled as her husband came around the counter and kissed her before scooping up two honey jumbles and a cup.

"How was the city? Did Rob explain what the frantic message was about?"

"Yes, Charlie," Hermione sighed before turning to her sons and hitting them with a drying spell. "How many times have I told you boys to dry off after getting out of the pool and before coming inside?"

"I don't know, about twenty million," the younger boy replied cheekily causing the older to laugh and hold out his hand for a high five.

"Bear, why must you encourage him? You are fourteen for goodness sakes. Old enough to know better," Hermione asked with an affected sigh.

"It's brotherly affection," Bear replied. "Me and Jag are tight."

"Jag and I," Hermione corrected.

"Let it be, Mi," Charlie said reaching for another jumble. "It's hot outside."

"It wasn't at the morgue," Hermione retorted fingering the cardigan she still wore.

"What?" Charlie asked as the four children froze.

"Char! Get in here now!" the youngest boy bellowed.

"Jon! Don't yell inside!" Hermione snapped. "And for heavens' sakes Tiberius don't you dare high five him!"

"Hermione!" Charlie said running his hands through his own damp hair before reaching out to pull his wife in close holding her slim frame to his broad chest for a few moments. "What the heck happened?"

"Mum?" her eldest asked in a worried tone, walking into the kitchen, book in hand. "Mal, what is it?" Charlotte asked automatically asking the gossip in the family.

"Mum went to the morgue," Alex said speaking up.

"Morgue, why?" Charlotte asked dropping her book and taking a muffin and accepting the cup one of the boys slid over to her.

"The American Department of Mysteries got him. They captured Murphy," Hermione explained.

"And?" Charlie prompted a smile tugging on his lips before any of the children could react.

"He poisoned himself," Hermione told them.

The four younger children cheered.

"And"" Charlotte then prompted.

"His body is ash and his head in a jar of vodka," Hermione said before giving in and smiling.

Her husband whooped and picked her up before kissing her soundly.

"Save that for when we've gone. This is strictly g-rated celebrations," Jag hollered at his parents as his siblings laughed.

"Will we go back to England now?" Charlotte asked moving around the counter and hugging her mother tightly.

"We can go home if that's what we decide as a family," Hermione said with a nod.

"Yes!" the two boys yelled together.

"Yes! Yes!" the youngest added standing on her chair.

"I'd like that," Alex said with a nod.

Hermione and Charlotte both turned to look at their husband and father respectively.

"It's about bloody time we got to go home," Charlie said with a toothy grin. "I may be able to see another dragon before I die."

"You don't mind?" Hermione asked looking back at her daughter.

"No!" Charlotte said laughing. "My only question is... How fast can we pack?"

Charlie and Hermione looked at each other.

"Fast!" they said together.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Life as it Is

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Chapter Two

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They took a secure portkey from the American Ministry straight to the British Department of Mysteries with Robbie and his girlfriend. They were immediately processed and after Hermione and Robbie had signed certain papers they were free to go.

Charlie held out his arm and Hermione walked straight into his embrace holding up a skipping rope.

"We can go to your mother's first. Hopefully, she'll let us stay there tonight."

Charlie couldn't help but lean down and kiss his wife square on the mouth causing his children to complain loudly.

"Shut up," he told them eloquently. "I have been dreaming of this day before most of you were born. I am going to see my mother again. You are going to meet your grandparents."

"You could go and visit Lulu too," Hermione suggested. "She's probably still terrorising everyone."

"Who's Lulu?" Mal asked looking up at her parents.

"Lulu was a Serbian short horn I used to look after on the reserve in Romania. Her babies are a little older than Char," he replied.

"So they aren't really babies anymore," Charlotte declared.

"You," Charlie announced wrapping his arms around his namesake, "will always by my baby girl."

"What about me, Daddy?" Mallory asked holding up her arms to be lifted.

Charlie grinned and picked up his youngest child with one arm. "You will always be my ickle baby girl!" he declared. "That is the difference!"

"Molly is waiting, Charlie," Hermione reminded having finished fussing over her other children. "And I think we are long overdue in an explanation."

"That is a distinct possibility, Mi," Charlie agreed releasing his daughters. "Grab on then everyone."

Charlie placed his large brown hand over Mallory's pale one in the middle of the skipping rope portkey as Charlotte took the end behind him, and his boys fussed over keeping Lexie safely between them for the brief journey. Hermione took up the other end of the rope and taking out her wand she slowly exhaled.

"Time to go home," she whispered.

"Home," Charlie agreed.

Hermione tapped the rope and they were gone.

III

They appeared at the end of the lane, just outside the rune stones that marked the edge of the outer wards over the Burrow. Charlie nodded to the nearest one and Hermione caught the gesture.

The children stood still looking at the fence and the trees as their mother closely studied the stones.

"Is this where you grew up, Dad?" Alexis asked quietly.

"It sure is," Charlie said lifting Mallory up into his arms. "Your uncles and I played quidditch on the otherside of those trees."

All four children turned to look over toward the towering pines.

"Really?" Bear asked at the same time as Jag.

"Really," Hermione replied. "We should be able to get past the wards without being hurt. They are the same ones that were here when Charlotte was added. Our genes should be able to get all of you through but Bill will be notified."

"We'll walk slowly then," Charlie declared as Jag rolled up the skipping rope and slung it over his shoulder.

Charlie boosted Mallory so that the little girl was perched on his shoulders before wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. Charlotte clasped her mother's hand that wasn't around Charlie's waist tightly and the boys walked hesitantly forward.

Hermione felt blissfully happy as they walked down the familiar path together, recounting stories about landmarks in the garden to the children as they walked. Soon the old house came into view. It looked largely the same; rooms were still attached wherever possible and it was still lopsided. Charlie and Hermione both grinned.

"It's charming," Alexis declared looking at the house.

"How is it not falling down?" Mallory asked, having never experienced old magic such as what made the Burrow before.

"Mal," Hermione replied shaking her head. "Think about it."

"Magic!" Jag declared after his youngest sister thought about it for a moment too long. "Are you a witch or not?"

Mallory responded by waving her hand and turning her brother's green shirt purple.

"Whatever," the Weasley red haired boy replied, breaking into a jog toward the front door.

The front door opened to reveal an aged and armed Bill Weasley, closely followed by a number of armed witches and wizards. Hermione, Charlie and their children froze.

"How, in Merlin's name am I meant to show my niece the joys of quidditch if you go and disappear for fifteen bloody years?" the tallest of the red headed men asked lowering his wand. "I mean geez Hermione, cut us some slack. You don't ask someone to do something and then bugger off."

Hermione felt tears fall down her face as her best friend pushed past his brothers, nephews and nieces to jump down the stairs of the Burrow and walk across the grass towards her. She felt Charlie release her hand and Hermione knew her feet had begun to move by the way the trees slipped past her field of vision.

"Ron!" she cried slamming into his chest and feeling his long arms tighten around her as his face buried into her shoulder as hers hid in his. "Merlin."

Hermione looked up to see a greying Molly Weasley standing on the porch sobbing in Arthur's arms as small children pushed their way out the door.

"I know you can write letters Hermione," Ron whispered. "I have a box full of them upstairs. Letters that are pages and pages long. Why did you let us know you were safe?"

Hermione pulled back to look her friend in the eyes and smiled through her tears. "Classified."

Ron growled under his breath before pulling Hermione back into his chest. "You can't ever go anywhere again. You hear me?"

"The problem is dead now. We aren't in danger anymore. He can't hurt you or us. We can come home. We are home," Hermione promised feeling Charlie walk up behind her and her children gather in around them. "We're all home, safe."

"I missed you," Ron declared holding his hand out for Charlie to shake.

Hermione saw Charlie grin out the corner of her eye.

"Kids, your Uncle Ron always loved a good hug."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she was crushed in the middle of the throng.

III

Charlotte looked up to the porch as they were released from the crushing hug on her Uncle Ron, the man they had heard so much about as they were growing up. She recognised her godfather, Harry Potter like every good British citizen in the world. His green eyes were filled with tears and he was hugging a petite woman that could only be her aunt Ginny. Her twin Uncles were there too, smiling, their arms slung around each other as they watched. One even held onto his mother's shoulder. Uncle Bill looked old, but considering his difficult life and being married to a Veela, Charlotte wasn't surprised.

Then there was Arthur and Molly. Both greying. Both looking worn and tired.

Charlotte knew that her worn baby blanket was still the thing she turned to in a crisis, the thing she got the most comfort from in the world. Moving she made her way up the stairs and after flinging an arm around each grandparent she allowed herself to burst into tears.

"What's the matter dear?" Molly asked her arms tight around her granddaughter.

"I do remember you. I didn't think I would, but I do," she whispered. "I'm home. We're home."

She felt hands rub her back and soon Harry Potter appeared in her field of vision.

"You look like your mother, with your aunt's hair."

"Harry," she whispered, using her hand to reach out for the dark haired man.

"I know, Char Char," he replied grabbing onto her fingers.

"Come," Charlotte insisted. "Come! You all have to meet some very important people in my life, then, we can meet the people in yours."

Dragging her grandparent by the hands she led them down onto the grass where her parents and siblings were waiting with her Uncle Ron.

"Granma, Grandpa, Molly and Arthur Weasley, I would like to reacquaint you with Charlie and Hermione Weasley," Charlotte said as her father and mother rushed forward.

Charlotte smiled as she moved to stand with her siblings, where Mallory was in the middle of the huddle as they all whispered to each other.

"Granma has a strong grip when she hugs. Watch out," Charlotte whispered as her parents greeted Harry and Ginny Potter.

"If I may?" she called. "There have been some additions to our family in the time in which we were absent. I, Charlotte Ginevra Weasley am almost seventeen and prefer to be called Char, to Mum's constant dismay. I wish to introduce Tiberius James Prewett Weasley and Jon Arthur Granger Weasley, Bear and Jag respectively. They are fourteen and eleven and both live and breathe sports."

Charlotte grinned as her brothers dashed forward to hug their grandparents before moving to stand beside their parents who where speaking quietly with the Potters.

"Lexie, Alexandria Kate is nine and a book worm. However, I wish to let you all know, she is the most accurate and violent beater I have ever encountered."

Lexie walked forward slowly smiling as her Uncles Fred and George cheered. She was then wrapped up in her grandmother's arms.

"Excuse me!" Mallory shouted. "Excuse me. I am Mallory Jane. Only my Mum and Dad are allowed to call me that and only when I have done something bad. You can all call me Mal."

Charlotte snickered as Mallory started forward to her grandparents.

"I am six by the way and I am never going to remember all of you."

Charlotte and her entire family laughed at the precocious comment coming from the mouth of the youngest of her siblings.

"Here, here," Lexie agreed, and everyone doubled over.

Charlotte walked forward to her mother who was the only one not laughing, but trying to decide whether or not to scold her youngest daughters when Charlotte wrapped her arms around her.

"I am glad to be home, Mamma," she whispered, only to find herself in the middle of a hug from her parents.

"Us too," Charlie agreed. "Us too, baby girl."

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	3. Chapter 3

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Life as it Is

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Chapter Three

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"We may as well call the English team, Team Weasley," Jag heard the commentator declare. "They are all related to the Weasley family, are coached by a Weasley and they are absolutely pounding the Argentines into the pitch. With another ten points scored by one of the red headed British chasers the score in the Quidditch World Cup is currently three hundred and twenty points to zip, zero, nothing. It's extraordinary!"

"It's to be expected really though, isn't it?" the other commentator said taking over. "These team is perfection because they grew up together, they have flown together a school on the Hogwarts House teams making the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup Competition the tightest it has ever been these past ten years. They made up three quarters of the English squad last World Cup and seeing this, I firmly believe that they could have won the last World Cup in Nagasaki if they had put all the Weasley subs on the pitch. I mean look at this three hundred and ninety to zero. We can't even commentate because we can't tell who is whom!"

"We can tell the Potters, Jimmy and Will the beaters on this team are simply phenomenal. But I know for a fact that their cousin Lexie is far more accurate and fearsome than either of them. She opted not to play this World Cup for the good of the team. I have a quote here that said nineteen year old Lexie Weasley chose not to represent her country because, and I quote, her distinguishable cousins made such a flawless team that is seems unwise to contest their partnership. Jack, these Weasleys and Potters must be the most down to earth amazing people on the planet. They are kind, well mannered, true sportsmen and women and they have amazing skills off the pitch too."

"Well I can't do anything but agree, Homer. This World Cup is going to be a World Cup of firsts. The first team from one family to win the cup. The first time one team has ever been kept scoreless in the final. I feel sorry for the Argentines, they have no hope. The English are simply flawless."

"Coach Ron aka Uncle Ron to most of the team must be proud."

"I am sure he is. Though he must be disappointed that his own daughter didn't make this team."

"I don't think so, Jack. I think the Weasley's are going to dominate international quidditch for the next half century if the next generation has half the skill."

"I would defect to another country so I could simply play on a representative team, I think."

"That's just it. The Wealseys are a close knit family. They would never do something like that. And throughout the season, Coach Uncle Ron rotates players who aren't Weasley though the national team and through the Cannons team so that everyone gets pitch time. It's quite amazing. The score ladies and gets is now four eighty to naught."

Jag tuned out of the commentary and returned his focus to finding the snitch. The commentators were right. You couldn't beat a team that had played together and against each other for this long. That played so naturally and thoughtlessly that they covered for each other's weaknesses without even really considering it. No, Jag knew that tonight the Quidditch World Cup would be going home to London for the first time for a long time.

Making a lazy spiral around the field from his height down to the ground and back up, simply for something to do, Jag considered the options. The biggest score difference in a Quidditch World Cup Final was in 1886 between Spain and Italy with a difference of seven hundred points. And that game went for two days and half the Spanish team was too injured to continue playing after the first.

"What's the score?" he asked coming to hover next to Bear who was thoroughly bored at the goal posts. "I stopped listening to the commentary for a moment."

"Six twenty. I feel sorry for Sanchez over there. He's getting creamed by the girls. They are flying circles around him. Have you been watching, they have been flying practice drills at full pace and they are still getting around them."

"I did notice that about half an hour ago."

"At least the entire world knows we are the number one quidditch family in the world now."

"We all have three or four World Cups left in us. The Weasleys are going to be the best quidditch family for the next century, Bear," Jag returned with a grin.

"Well I prefer club quidditch at home," he grumbled. "At least I see the quaffle from time to time. Go find the damn snitch so I can have a pint."

"Look, the Argentines have the quaffle!"

"I will pay attention if they make it to half way still in possession of the quaffle."

Jag watched in amusement as one of his cousins intercepted the quaffle and shot back toward the hoops.

"What's happening here?" Jimmy Potter asked floating over.

"Just chatting," Jag replied. "Not much else to do."

"You could put the Argentines out of their misery," Will suggested. "I think the keep is ready to cry. He's already got a couple of broken fingers."

"Well, tell the girls to make fancier passes so the quaffle doesn't touch his fingers," Bear instructed. "We can at least do that. Make it interesting for the crowd. Tell the girls that they have to start challenging themselves. The quaffle must make it to the half way point before they can intercept. I don't know."

"Uncle Ron would have a fit."

"Whatever. He'll forget it all when the trophy is in his hands," Will retorted to his brother.

Jag looked down and narrowed his brows.

"We're going to get in trouble for hovering here and chatting like the aunts anyway," Bear replied.

"How long do you want the game to continue," Jag asked looking down.

"I want a pint," Jimmy said with a dreamy smile.

Bear grinned. "That's what I said. Talking is thirsty work."

"What's the score then?"

Will looked down following Jag's line of sight and grinned. "Almost nine hundred."

"To win by over one thousand points is a good benchmark for four years time," Jag decreed. "Give me a minute and you'll have your pint."

"Scramble!" Bear yelled at his cousins who held their Beaters bats loosely at their sides. "You protect his scrawny backside! I want that pint! Make sure he get's that snitch!"

III

Hermione clutched Charlie's arm a Jag turned his broom toward the ground and practically fell from the sky.

"He saw it about thirty seconds ago, Mi," Charlie replied. "The boys have been arguing about something that delayed him leaving."

"Getting a pint no doubt," Charlotte declared balancing one of her sons on her hip as a few meters away her husband jostled the other back to sleep. "Right now I can't decide if having twins is worth not being out there today."

"Twins are a headache, granted," her Aunt Ginny agreed from in front where her eyes were still riveted on the game.

"What we need it Lee to be the commentator. He can tell them all the kids apart. These numbskulls are just advertising the entire family," George Senior announced as Fred Senior agreed.

"Bloody annoying. We know all this stuff about ourselves," Mallory declared from where she was perched on the lap of Xavier Zabini.

"You're loving all the attention, Mal," Xavier told his girlfriend poking her in the side.

"Whatever," Mallory replied.

"Charlie?" Hermione asked.

"Jag's chasing the snitch it's racing him. But it's about time one of those kids was challenged. The girls were so bored they were running training drills in the middle of an international final. How ridiculous!"

Hermione bowed her head and covered her eyes as her son plummeted towards the ground again.

"He better not be pulling a Harry," she whispered. "Don't do it to your mother, Jag."

"I don't believe it!" one of the commentators yelled. "The Weasley seeker is going to plough into the grass!"

"Don't be an idiot!" the other exclaimed. "The son of Charlie Wealsey and the nephew and godson for Harry Potter, does not plough into the grass. He's pulling a feint!"

"He'd going to plough!" the other commentator yelled.

"Chicken," Molly Weasley declared from her seat. "It's impossible for one of my grandbabies to hurt themselves playing this game. They are naturals."

"Go, Granma!" a couple of said grandchildren cheered, making the matriarch smile.

"These people are naturals, Jack. A Weasley won't hit the turf!" the other commentator agreed, not even hearing Molly's comment.

"Oh Merlin!" Comenatator Jack called.

Hermione gasped as her youngest son threw himself sideways off his broom before falling four feet to the ground, commando rolling a few meters before smoothly standing and holding up his fisted hand.

"That's my boy!" Charlie roared leaping to his feet as half the stadium did also.

"Merlin!" Hermione shrieked as she was pulled to her feet by her husband. "Charlie!"

Hermione grinned as she and her husband made out like teenagers in one of the boxes the Weasley family had bought out to watch the game.

"That's our boy!" Charlie grinned as they bother turned back to see the entire English team swarming to engulf Jag where he stood on the pitch.

"That's our boy!" Hermione agreed happily.

"Right! Everyone! The celebration feast begins at the Burrow at dusk," Molly Weasley declared. "Now we have some organising to do. Treat this as you would any normal family event. I will see you all back in Catchpole."

Hermione grinned as America Department of Mysteries Agents began evacuating the Weasley family home straight from their boxes as away from keeping them from going near any devastated or adoring fans.

"See you tonight, Mum," Charlotte called as one of the guards called out "Wood, two adults, two children, to Glasgow, Scotland."

"By sweetie," Hermione returned with a grin before giving Charlie another resounding kiss.

"Have you prepared for this feast?" Charlie asked Hermione rubbing his hands up and down her sides as they waited for their turn.

"Lasagnes in the freezer, salads made and under statis charm in the fridge. Wine in fridge. Beer in fridge. Ice cream in freezer. We go home we pull the lasagnes out and shove them in the oven and turn it on. Then we have a few hours to ourselves, husband," Hermione said with a sly grin.

"We should lead by example," he said with a tilt of the head toward Mallory. "But I don't want to."

"Neither," she replied.

"Weasley, two adults, two teens, Cambridge," the American called.

"Mal, Xavier," Charlie called pointing to the guard and the two teens climbed to their feet and made their way across the room.

Once huddled around the newspaper, Hermione nodded to the agent who activated the portkey just as Ginny called "See you at home!"

III

Charlie looked around the garden at the Burrow as it buzzed with excitement, happiness and conversation. Hermione had produced enough food to feed an army from the freezer when they arrived home but not surprisingly all of her much loved lasagne had been devoured. Currently she was directing dished through buckets of hot soapy water with her wand as she chatted with Ginny, Ron and Prudence, Ron's Muggle wife. Jag and Bear were mock wrestling with a handful of their cousins as the young ones looked on. Charlotte was lying in a deck chair with both her babies asleep in her arms as her husband sat at her side speaking to her quietly speaking with her. Alexandra was playing chess on the grass against Fred and George and Bill and was, by the looks of things whipping their collective bottom. Charlie was almost certain that it was Xavier covered in soap suds chasing an equally indistinguishable Mallory around the garden.

"Sickle for them, dear?" his mother asked wrapping her arm around him.

Charlie smiled and returned the gesture.

"Life is good here with all of you."

"That's because home is not just a house, Charlie, dear. It's people and events and all the little things."

"I love you," Charlie whispered, looking across the lawn to Hermione who instinctively knew and looked up. "I love life."

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